An ordinary of arms (or simply an ordinary) is a roll or register of coats of arms arranged systematically by design, with coats featuring the same principal elements (geometrical ordinaries and charges) grouped together.[1][2] The purpose of an ordinary is to facilitate the identification of the bearer of a coat of arms from visual evidence alone.
Ordinaries may take a form which is either graphic (consisting of a series of painted or drawn images of shields) or textual (consisting of blazons – verbal descriptions – of the coats). Most medieval and early modern manuscript ordinaries were graphic, whereas all the principal modern published ordinaries have been textual. A knowledge of the technicalities of blazon is essential for the student hoping to make best use of a textual ordinary.
By extension, ordinaries may also be compiled of other elements of heraldic display, such as crests, supporters or badges.[3]
- ^ Franklyn, Julian; Tanner, John (1970). An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Heraldry. Oxford: Pergamon. p. 246. ISBN 0080132979.
- ^ Friar, Stephen (1987). A New Dictionary of Heraldry. Sherborne: Alphabooks. p. 260. ISBN 0906670446.
- ^ Woodcock & Robinson (1988), p. 34
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search